EMC Postgraduate Research Day 2010
by Dina Van Der Hulst, EMC PhD student
Euan MacDonald Centre (EMC) for Motor Neurone Disease Research
Postgraduate Research Day 18-03-2010 – Chancellors Building, Little France.
A major goal of the EMC Postgraduate Research Day was to acquaint the PhD students and senior researchers from the Centre with the diverse scope of research conducted on Motor Neurone Disease (MND)/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The PhD students were from different Edinburgh research institutions, all affiliated with the EMC. These institutions included the Human Genetics Unit, Human Cognitive Neuroscience division from the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Neuroregeneration. As a result, numerous research fields were represented on the day. Presentations about ALS ranged from genetics and stem cell research to neuroregeneration and clinical neuropsychology.
What follows is a summary of the presentations given on the day, starting from the smallest species, the fruitfly, proceeding with slightly larger species like the zebrafish and mice to the most complex species man.
Simona Paro’s work concentrates on Drosophila and how this fly could serve as a research model for ALS. During her presentation, Simona showed some very interesting video clips of flies with and without a special enzyme named ADAR. The flies lacking the enzyme demonstrated specific problems with movement.
Tatyana Dias showed some exciting results from her work on the zebrafish, which she uses as a model to study ALS. This special type of fish possesses a unique capability to produce new motor neurones after their spinal cord has been damaged by cutting it across. Tatyana’s work focuses on gene expression analysis of a signalling pathway in cells called notch.
Jochen Ohnmacht aims to examine how zebrafish can generate new motor neurons after a more disease-like damage to their spinal cords. To study this process thoroughly, Jochen makes use of genetic and chemical techniques which he explained during his presentation.
Rosalind Brown’s research focuses on what role activity and exercise plays in ALS. During her presentation, Rosalind pointed out that there is still some controversy whether exercise is beneficial or detrimental to ALS patients. Rosalind employs a mouse model to study the influence of exercise and paralysis on a specific part of the nerve called the neuromuscular junction.
Andrea Serio discussed a special type of cells called human induced pluripotent cells. The cells Andrea uses are obtained from a patient with the familial form of ALS. Andrea’s work is geared towards setting up procedures which enable the generation of motor neurons from these specific cells.
Dina van der Hulst studies language, thinking and behaviour processes in ALS patients using neuropsychological assessment tools. Dina highlighted the clinical and cognitive aspects of her work with ALS patients. Her research demonstrates that ALS patients exhibit some very specific problems with a type of action knowledge, known as action sequences.
After the talks were given, it was time for some refreshments and an informal chat which provided a great opportunity for discussion among the researchers.
All in all the EMC Postgraduate Research Day proved to be a fruitful day.
The event was valuable for researchers in showing how each others’ work tackled ALS from unique angles, using different models of research.
The EMC Postgraduate Research Day proved to be a great success and a repetition next year is certainly highly recommended!
Programme
Euan MacDonald PostGraduate Seminar Afternoon
Thursday 18th March;
1pm – 5pm
Auditorium B, Small Lecture Theatre,
Chancellors Building, Little France
First talk: 1pm
1. Dina Van Der Hulst: “Action Knowledge in ALS”
2. Simon Parro: "The role of autophagy in age-dependent
neurodegeneration in Adar null flies".
3. Jochen Ohnmacht: "Genetic and Neurotoxic Induction of Motor
neuron de- and regeneration in zebrafish".
4. Tatyana Dias: “Notch signaling in motor neuron regeneration in
the lesioned spinal cord of adult zebrafish”
5. Rosalind Brown: “Is synaptic degeneration activity dependent”
6. Andrea Serio: "Modelling Motor Neuron Disease using Induced
Pluripotent Stem Cells"
